Giving Done Well: Impact

When we give, we give to make a difference. Part of your philanthropic journey is figuring out how to make the difference you want to see – and that the world needs. It’s about discovering what Giving Done Well  means for you.

It helps to start with some questions: What do I care about? What social problems touch me deeply?

Most likely the problems you care about are HUGE! Seemingly insurmountable. But hang in there. Identifying the issues you care about is just the first step on the journey. You’ll want to know: How can my giving matter? What impact can I have? No surprise, there isn’t a single answer for every philanthropist, for every social problem, or for every time and place. But there are signposts to look for along the journey that point toward impact you can have.

For one Seven Hills Philanthropy client, discovering how he could have impact meant looking for creative and local solutions to a big problem: the large debt burdens carried by many college students and graduates. According to a recent count, 1 in 4 U.S. adults under 40 have student loan debt. As of 2024, the average public university student borrowed $31,960 to attain a bachelor’s degree.

This donor realized he couldn’t solve a problem of this magnitude (43 million individuals and counting), but with some creativity and focus, he has been able to have a tangible, discernible impact.

First, upon learning that college graduates are more likely to have jobs that enable them to pay back loans compared with their peers who drop out of college, he decided to support local programs that help students stay in college. He supports Fulfillment Fund and 10,000 Degrees, two programs that set students up for success – and college graduation – with academic support, mentoring, and scholarships. Students who participate in these programs and others like them have much higher graduation rates than their peers.

This donor also supports an emergency resource fund for community college students that covers small but urgent expenses. Seven Hills Philanthropy introduced the donor to the Truckee Meadows Community College Emergency Resource Fund, which provides quick-turnaround funds to students in financial distress for emergencies – a car repair, a medical bill, housing - that would otherwise lead students to postpone their education.

Finally, this donor takes a preventive approach to the student debt problem by helping college students minimize their debt or even avoid it altogether. He supports nonprofits like uAspire which focus on just that: helping students maximize all forms of student financial aid before they consider taking out loans.

For this donor, Giving Done Well means creative and place-based. With a bit of guidance, what began as a desire to help students pay off their college debt became a more impactful approach to making a difference.

What does Giving Done Well mean for you?